Feeding mechanism for plaster-block machines



April 21, 1925' 1,534,610

G. H. A. RUBY FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PLASTEB BLOCK MACHINES Filed March 10, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v Q Q 0 Q Q Q x Q //7venf V Qgggya if? fiuby l ntented Apr. 231,

GEORGE ADAM RUBY, 01* FORT none-n, IGWA, Assrenon T JAMES R.

OFF IELD TRUSTEE, 013 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FEEDING MECHANISM FQR PLASTER-BLOGK MACHINES.

Application filed March 10,

To all whom it may concern,"

Be it'known that I, GEORGE H. A. RUBY, a citizenof the United States of America, residing Fort Dodge, in the county of Viebster and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Mechanism'forPlaster-Block Machine and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I i

This invention relates to'a feeding mechanism for use with plaster block machines of the continuous type wherein the cementitious material for the blocks is fed to continuously moving forms mounted on endless driven chains. It is a primary object and purpose of the present invention to provide a feeding mechanism which is simple and practical and one wherein the cementitious material is kept from flowing over the ends of the forms and is properly levelled down and carried over into succeeding forms. A further object of the invention is to provide the feeding mechanism with certain safeguards against breakage as when the plaster block machine is stopped at any time for any reason and the cementitious material not as yetacted upon by the feeding device is not levelled, becoming set and hardened so as to normally offeran obstruction to the mechanism sm'hcient to break it except for such safeguards. -Many other objects and purposes directed to the production of a practical, durable and eflicient mechanism of this character will appear as understanding of the invention is had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a plaster block machine equipped with the feeding mechanism of my invention, and

iFig. 2-is a fragmentary plan view there- Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of thecrdrawings. i

In the construction shown in the draw ings, the large sprocket wheels 1 are attached to ashaft 2 mounted in suitable bearings carried on vertical posts 3 which with other posts 3 spaced fromthe posts 23 comprise parts of the supporting frame- "work of the machine. Chains 4 run around 1924. Serial No. 698,144

the wheels 1 and also around the additional sprocket wheels 5, as shown, and cross plates 6 are connected to the links to provide the bottoms of the forms, vertical division plates 7 limiting and defining the width of the forms whileiend plates positioned vertically and attached to the intermediate plate 6 of the three plates making thebottomcof each form close the ends, as indicated at 8. Cores 9, preferably three in number for each block form,'-are designed to pass through suitable openings in the end plates 8, all of the cores at an end of a block form being connected to a commoirhead 10 mounted for inward and outward sliding j movement on guide bars 11. The core parts 9 at the opposite ends of each block form are adapted to detachably' join together understood that theendless chain's t with the block forms thereon are continuously driven and the block forms continuously pass by a point where the cementitious material for the blocks is fedto the forms. Preferably the material is delivered to the forms near one end of the machine, the blocks made from such material traversing the length of the machine and being delivered at the opposite end of such machine.

Two horizontal supporting bars 12 and 13 are located above the upper run of the block forms and permanently securedto the posts 3 and 3 respectively. Bearing blocks 14 are carried in spaced relation by the cross bar 12 through which ashaft 15 passes, it being rotatably mounted therein. Two bevelled pinions 16 and 1-7 are fixed to shaft 15 in spaced relation, as shown in Fig. 2. Two-rollers 18 and 19 arellocated parallel toeach other, one at each side. of the machine, the roller 18 having one end located closely adjacent the bar 12 with a short shaft 20 projecting therefrom, passing through said bar 12 and rotatably mounted therein and being equipped witha bevelled gear 21 at its end in mesh with the pinion 16. The other roller 19, at the same end has a like short shaft 22 passing through and rotatably mounted in said bar 12 which is equipped with a bevelled gear 23 at its end in mesh with the pinion 17. It is obvious that when the shaft 15 is driven, rollers 18 and 19 are simultaneously turned and in opposite directions, both turning inwardly directly above the ends of the block forms. The rollers 18 and 19 extend from the bar 12 toward the bar 13, terminating a distance short thereof. In alinement with said rollers 18 and 19 are two relatively heavy metal bars 2%, between and on the under sides of which is a cross plate secured thereto and connecting said bars. The plate is ina horizontal plane substantially. The ends of the bars 24 adjacent the ends of the rollers 18 and 19 are enlargedto provide suitable bearings for projecting pins or short shafts 26 from the rollers whereby the other ends of said rollers are rotatably mounted. A transverse roller 27 is located between the bars 2% directly'atthe ends of the rollers 18 and 19, one end of the roller 27 being provided with a short shaft 28 passing through and rotatably mounted in one of the bars 2 1', while the other end has a longer shaft 29' passing through and rotatably mounted in the other bar24t, as shown.

Two supporting bars 30 and 31 are per- ,manently secured at their outer ends to the bars 13 and 12, respectively, extending upwardly and inwardly toward each other and at their adjacent ends forming a support for a bearing for a drive shaft 32. This shaftlnay bedriven in any suitable manner from any conveniently positioned part of the block machine. A sprocket wheel 33 is fixedat the end of the shaft and in the same vertical plane other sprockets wheels 34: and 35 are fixed to the ends of shafts 15 and 29,

respectively, around all of which-wheels a chain 36 passes. It is evident that all of the rollers 18, 19 and 27 are simultaneously operated and at substantially the same speeds.

The cementitious mixture is delivered through the lower end of the hopper 37 to the block forms in the space between bar 12 and rollers 18, 19 and 27'. The rotation of the rollers-18 and 19 has the eflect of holding the material in and keeps any thereof from flowing outward over the ends of the block forms. Rotation of the roller 27 with the movement of the block forms thereunder levels the material and moves any excess over and above what is needed to fill a block form to thenext succeeding form, and the plate acts as a smoothing or trowelmem: her to smooth the upper surfaces of the blocks of cementitious material in the forms as the same pass thereunder. It will be noted that the said plate with attached arms is free to rise a limited distance, one of the ends of the bars 24; being free and unattached; The fit of the shafts 20 and 22in the bearings through bar 12 being loose enough to permit this limited movement, there is a safeguard provided against breakage which might otherwise occur as when the machine was stopped with a quantity of cementitious material in the space between the rollers and was not again started up before the material sets and hardens. In such cases, the plate 25 is elevated enough to pass over the hardened material which has not been levelled before hardening.

The construction described is relatively simple, practical and efficient. lVith it waste of material at the sides of the machine with attendant fouling of the machine at the sides thereof is avoided, the blocks are levelled and trowelled smooth at their upper sides; The construction has proved its merit in actual practice, The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered as con'iprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope I claim 1. In con'ibination, a plaster block machine including an endless conveyer positioned horizontal and equipped with a consecutive series of block forms having open upper sides to receive cementitious material at the upper run of the conveyor, a roller located lengthwise of the machine at each side thereof and directly over the ends of the forms. means for driving said rollers in unison and in opposite directions, and a third roller located transversely of the machine above said forms, substantially as described.

In combination, a plaster block machine including an endless conveys-r positionedhorizontal and equipped with a consecutive series of block forms having ope. upper sides to receive cementitious mate? rial from above the conveyor, a roller located lengthwise of the machine at each side thereof and directly over the ends of the forms, a third roller located transversely of the machine above said forms at one end of the first named rollers, and means for driving all of the rollers in unison, with the two first named rollers turning in opposite directions, substantially as described.

3. In combination, a plaster. block machine including an endless conveyerpositioned horizontal and equipped with a consecutive series of block forms having open upper sides to receive cementitious material from above the conveyor, a roller located lengthwise of the machine at each side thereof and directly over the ends of the forms, a third roller located transversely of the machine above said forms and at one end of the first named rollers, means for driving all of the rollers in unison, with the first named rollers turning in opposite directions, and'a sn'ioothing plate located at one side ofthe third: roller with its lower face sub stantially in the same plane with the lower line of the third roller.

4. In combination, a plaster block machine including an endless conveyer positioned horizontal and equipped with a con secutive series of block forms located transversely of the machine and adapted to receive cementitious material from above the machine as the conveyer is continuously moving, a roller located transversely of the machine under which the forms pass, means for driving the roller, and means at each side of the machine in front of said roller and between which ceinentitious material is delivered to the forms for preventing escape of material over the ends of the forms.

5. In combination, a plaster block machine including an endless conveyer posi tioned horizontal and equipped with a consecutive series of block forms located transversely of themachine and adapted to receive cementitious material from above the machine as the conveyer is continuously moving, a roller located transversely of the machine under which the forms pass, means for driving the roller, and a plate located back of the roller having a smooth lower face in substantially the same plane with the lower line of the roller.

6. In combination, a plaster block machine including an endless conveyer located substantially horizontal and equipped with a continuous and consecutive series of block forms located transversely of the machine shaft is rotatably mounted, two rollers located one at each side of the machine directly above the ends of the forms, means for driving said rollers from said shaft in a shaftlocated transversely of the opposite directions, substantially as described.

7. In combination, the elements in combination defined in claim 8, combined with a bar located back of and in alinement with each of the rollers and in the ends of which said rollers have rotatable mounting, a third roller rotatably mounted on and lying between said bars transversely of the machine, and means for driving the third roller, substantially as described.

8. In combination, the elements in co1n bination defined in claim 8, combined with a bar located back of and in alinement with each of the rollers and in the ends of which said rollers have rotatable mounting, a third I GEORGE HENRY ADAM RUBY. 

